| Galashiels Soup | Name: Galashiels Soup
Summary: Galashiels Soup: This is a pilot project targeting micro-start ups. Two events where 4 passionate entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to the audience, who will get great soup and bread and one vote each. The pitch with the most votes wins all of the entrance fee money to invest in their project and depart with the monies that night. A further event will be arranged and the winners asked back to give an update on the impact, action and result of receiving the micro-grant. The event is held in a community cafe which is a supportive environment. The self generated micro-grant derived from the event “entrance fee” which is taken home on the night by the successful entrepreneur pitch could fund a market stall, flyers or ingredients or seed money for supplies
| £2,063 |
| Entrepreneurial Scotland | Name: Discovery Day – Unlocking Scotland’s Entrepreneurial Potential
Summary: The Exchange Discovery Day is a half-day event (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM) designed to introduce senior entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds to The Exchange community. It will feature a welcome breakfast, keynote from a high-profile diverse business leader, and a panel Q&A with current Exchange members. This is a curated space for reflection, connection and visibility — not a training session, but a leadership-level introduction to a peer community that can amplify their impact. | £4,500 |
| STARTUP GRIND Scotland- Aberdeen Chapter | Name: StartUp North: AI Hackathons for Scotland’s Hidden Innovators
Summary: This project will deliver a five-part AI Hackathon series across rural Aberdeenshire between August and December 2025, aiming to demystify entrepreneurship and equip underserved communities with early-stage startup skills and practical AI tools. Each one-day workshop, which will include guest facilitators, will focus on creative problem-solving, MVP development, and building socially impactful solutions using AI. It will culminate in a central celebration and pitch event in Aberdeen city in early 2026, featuring networking, expert panels, and continued support opportunities. Travel stipends and online pitch clinics will further enhance accessibility and ongoing engagement. | £8,500 |
| (START) The High School of Glasgow | Name: START Roadshow
| £9,200 |
| Creator Campus | Name: Student Startup Matchmaking Fair
Summary: The project will deliver Scotland’s first national Student Startup Matchmaking Fair, a one-day virtual event connecting all 19 universities and 24 colleges across the country. The fair will bring together student and graduate founders seeking co-founders or team members with aspiring collaborators eager to join early-stage ventures. The team aims to solve a recurring challenge: finding the right people to build a startup with. This initiative will unlock a Scotland-wide network for startup team formation, catalysing new ventures, fostering cross-campus collaboration, and increasing equitable access to entrepreneurial opportunities. Held in late October, the event will feature an expert-led workshop on co-founder dynamics, followed by a virtual fair showcasing two-minute founder pitches via the Creator Campus platform. Three standout founders will receive £500 “recruitment grants”, and robust safeguarding, GDPR, and student verification measures will ensure a safe and secure experience for all. | £9,500 |
| The Isle of Arran Candle Company Ltd | Name: Arran Design Collective
| £9,500 |
| University of Strathclyde | Name: From Sanctuary to Start up
Summary: Strathclyde University, in partnership with Bridges Programmes, will develop a series of workshops for refugees and asylum seekers who have engaged with Bridges and may be considering starting a business in Scotland. The project aims to better understand the specific challenges faced by this community and create materials that will help mainstream programmes more effectively engage and support them. Recognising a lack of tailored resources and the entrepreneurial potential within these communities, the project will explore additional tools and assets to provide meaningful support. Delivery will begin with programme design, marketing and recruitment in August 2025, led by Bridges Programmes, with University of Strathclyde staff delivering key elements. Recruitment will commence in September, with the first cohort of 10 participants starting in November. Insights from this group will inform two further cohorts in January and February 2026. | £9,750 |
| Scotpreneur Ltd | Name: The Entrepreneur’s A to Z: An Audio Guide for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Summary: The Entrepreneur’s A to Z is an Audio Guide for the Blind and Visually Impaired plugs a gap in support by offering accessible enterprise education content for those with blindness or visual impairment.
Using plain language, storytelling, and real-life scenarios to explain key business terms such as cash flow, overheads and unique selling point and with guidance from peer-led focus groups, the guide will ensure relevance and usability for its audience.Distributed via podcast platforms and accessible audio formats the guide aims to build confidence, improve participation, and unlock entrepreneurial potential in an underserved demographic. It also offers a scalable model for inclusive content creation, supporting enterprise educators and contributing to Scotland’s wider inclusion and equality goals. | £14,250 |
| Dundee Founders Collective | Name: Dundee Founders Collective
Summary: Dundee Founders Collective (DFC) is a community-first programme designed to fill a critical gap in the city’s entrepreneurial landscape by creating an inclusive, cross-sector space where aspiring and existing founders can test ideas, recharge and stay connected. Running from July 2025 to March 2026, DFC will deliver 9 free evening socials, 9 hands-on “Makers Gonna Make” build-sprints, 3 community-led Fireside Sessions (with BSL support), and a digital peer space to tackle isolation and encourage ongoing collaboration. The programme targets those underserved by current provision – including women, carers, minority-ethnic and later-career founders – by removing cost, confidence, and childcare barriers. It champions cross-sector innovation, founder wellbeing, and grassroots capability-building through no-code and AI tools. | £16,285 |
| Sottish Games Network Ltd. | Name: Hello World! Scottish Students Startup Summit
Summary: “Hello World!” is a one-day event designed to tackle a recognised gap in Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: the lack of early-stage entrepreneurial awareness and accessible entry points for students, recent graduates, and young people—particularly those from SIMD 1+ areas and under-represented groups. Co-created by partners across industry, education, research, and community, the event focuses on the games and tech sectors and empowers attendees to explore the question: “Is starting my own business in Scotland right for me?” It offers practical skills in business planning, legal basics, market research, and funding through interactive workshops, alongside direct access to support organisations like Business Gateway and Techscaler. With tailored networking, real-world insights, and connections to ongoing support, the event boosts confidence, demystifies entrepreneurship, and provides tangible next steps. “Hello World!” aims to unlock untapped entrepreneurial potential within Scotland’s academic and youth communities, building a stronger, more inclusive pipeline of future founders and startup talent. The event is planned for Oct/Nov 25. | £23,800 |
| Opportunity North East | Name: Finance for Founders
Summary: Finance for Founders is a focused pilot project designed to build a community of north east-based founders with the financial skills and confidence needed to grow and scale their businesses. Developed in response to direct feedback from founders and mentors involved in the NE Venture Mentoring Service, the programme addresses a recognised gap around financial clarity and growth planning. Delivered in two parts, the practical workshop series will guide 25 startup and scaleup founders through developing a meaningful financial model (Day 1) and translating it into an actionable fundraising strategy (Day 2). The initiative forms part of a wider effort by ONE and regional partners (including Scottish Enterprise, RGU, University of Aberdeen, CodeBase, and others) to support Innovation Driven Enterprises in the north east, integrating world-class expertise from MIT and other global leaders. The project builds on successful 2024 pilots in enterprise sales and aims to ensure founders are better equipped to understand their numbers, engage with investors, and drive their business forward. | £32,500 |
| GrowBiz Scotland | Name: Supporting Older Entrepreneurs | £32,500 |
| Challenges Catalyst Ltd | Name: Unlocking Scotland’s Earlier-Stage Research-to-Venture Pipeline
Summary: Unlocking Scotland’s Earlier-Stage Research-to-Venture Pipeline: This pilot project, led by The Challenges Group and its Scottish Government-backed Ventures Lab (TVL), seeks to unlock untapped university potenrial potential by supporting a new community of Research-to-Venture Scouts (R2VSs) embedded within universities. These include Entrepreneurs in Residence, commercial champions, and knowledge exchange professionals - individuals well-positioned to spot early-stage research with the potential for impact-led ventures. The project will pilot a shared training and engagement framework across five universities, equipping R2VSs to identify opportunities earlier, co-design scalable impact models with researchers, and connect into Scotland’s growing venture support ecosystem. Co-developed referral processes and playbooks will help embed sustainable infrastructure, while cross-university forums will support collaboration and shared learning. The aim is to create a flexible, scalable model that can ultimately support all Scottish universities to strengthen their pipeline of research-led, impact-driven ventures. | £33,500 |
| Dechomai | Name: IGNITE SCOTLAND: Building Inclusive Enterprise Hubs & Learning Tools for Ecosystem Growth
Summary: The Ignite Programme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered in partnership with GRID and GCID, has demonstrated that inclusive, culturally responsive, and community-led enterprise support can significantly improve business readiness and social mobility for ethnic minority entrepreneurs. Building on its success, this proposal takes a dual approach to scale the Ignite model: (1) the creation of an Inclusive Enterprise Playbook for adoption by Scottish universities and enterprise hubs, and (2) the establishment of a Community Innovation Hub in Glasgow. The Playbook will embed proven Ignite methods, such as group conversations, multi-generational workshops, and culturally tailored delivery, into a practitioner-facing toolkit, complete with editable resources, case studies, and implementation support to make inclusive delivery a standard practice across the ecosystem. Meanwhile, the Community Innovation Hub will serve as a local node for early-stage ethnic minority entrepreneurs, student founders and alumni, providing space for peer learning, experimentation, and ongoing community insight. Developed in collaboration with partners including Connect Ed, GRID, GCID and university stakeholders, this project aims to deliver a sustainable, systemic shift in how inclusive entrepreneurship is supported, institutionalised and scaled across Scotland. This proposal responds directly to ecosystem gaps highlighted in the Ignite Monitoring & Evaluation report, the ACCESS Report (2024), and the expressed needs of delivery partners. | £36,000 |
| SGDA Community Interest Company | Name: Scottish Game Developers Accelerator
Summary: SGDA Squared, led by the Scottish Games Developer Association, is a tailored accelerator programme designed specifically for Scotland’s games studios, both emerging and established. It addresses the unique challenges games companies face in product development, financing, business development and marketing. The programme will consist of 10 in-person workshops, delivered fortnightly across Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, alongside mentoring, team-based coursework, studio visits and curated industry resources. Participants (20) will develop a small project throughout the programme, culminating in a final pitch, with winners earning the chance to present at a Games Talks Live event. Each team will be paired with a volunteer industry mentor for the duration of the accelerator and six months beyond. SGDA Squared will foster peer learning, collaboration and accountability, with a strong focus on real-world commercial readiness. | £38,000 |
| Impact Rise Ventures Limited | Name: San Francisco Tech Week 2025
Summary: This project proposes a cohort visit for 10 high-potential Scottish tech companies to attend San Francisco Tech Week in October 2025, one of the most founder-focused events globally, hosted by leading VC Andreessen Horowitz. Targeting companies that have already raised a Seed round and are now seeking Seed+, Series A or B investment and US market opportunities. The programme will include a curated company showcase for investors, tailored sessions with local accelerators and mentors, and recommended Tech Week events, with a blended model that balances structured sessions and founder-led time for meetings. A series of pre-trip briefings and pitch finesse sessions will run in late August and September to prepare the cohort, culminating in the delegation’s participation in Tech Week during w/c 6 October. | £38,000 |
| Thistle Labs Ltd | Name: GenAI for Entrepreneurs
Summary: This is an 8-week hybrid pilot programme designed to equip early-stage and aspiring entrepreneurs across Scotland, from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds with practical generative AI skills to launch or accelerate their ventures.The course combines in-person local launch events with asynchronous online content, ensuring accessibility for rural participants, caregivers, and those with limited connectivity. Weekly modules cover key areas of startup development from AI fundamentals and ethical use, to branding, ecommerce, marketing, data literacy, and audience testing and culminates in a national online demo day to showcase MVPs and celebrate participant progress. | £38,814 |
| James Hutton Limited | Name: Innovation Campus & Incubator for Clima-Tech & Agri-Tech
Summary: This project will catalyse the development of a dedicated Innovation Campus & Incubator for Scotland’s clima-tech and agri-tech sectors, laying the foundations for a high-impact, globally relevant hub within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The project addresses key ecosystem gaps: the lack of facilities, commercialisation know-how, investor readiness, and a sector-specific network to translate early-stage innovation into scalable, investable ventures. Through a series of targeted activities, the project will build a pipeline of quality opportunities, strengthen relationships across academia, industry and investors, and develop a robust business case for further investment in the Campus. Beneficiaries include researchers, entrepreneurs, rural communities, underrepresented groups in agriculture, and policy and investment stakeholders. With a focus on inclusivity and sustainability, this work will support Scotland’s strategic ambitions around climate innovation, net zero, and regional economic growth. | £38,881 |
| The Rebel School/Ziyx Scotland | Name: Rebel Business School
Summary: This project will deliver a three-phase hybrid business support programme across Scotland’s Central Belt, with a focus on underrepresented and rural communities, particularly in South Lanarkshire and Stirling. Using gamified entrepreneurial education, the programme is designed to remove traditional barriers to enterprise for those often excluded from conventional support—and includes: in-person masterclasses, two flagship 5-day Rebel Business School courses offering practical, debt-free business training, virtual tasters, in-person reunion sessions for peer learning and community-building and ongoing access to an online support platform offering on-demand content, mentoring, and forums.
| £39,000 |
| Ecosystem Builders | Name: Capital Catalyst: Investment Readiness
Summary: This is an 8-week, in-person investment readiness programme to directly tackle Scotland’s pre-seed funding gap where in 2023, just 1.9% of UK pre-seed investment went to Scottish startups. With over half of Scottish founders relying on personal savings and 35% depending on family and friends, double the national average, this programme targets Scotland-based, post-concept startups with a live MVP, that have raised less than £100k to date, and are preparing to raise £150k+ in 2025/26. The programme is peer- and network-led, not just curriculum-driven, and will be delivered by experienced founders, fundraisers, and pre-seed investors. It will connect participants with UK and European investors, build long-term peer networks, and give founders the confidence and credibility to raise capital and scale from Scotland. | £39,300 |
| STAC | Name: STAC Source – Big business innovation via Startup Scouting
Summary: Visit website for more details. | £40,000 |
| Royal Conservatoire of Scotland | Name: Split Screen | £40,000 |
| Boutique Innovation Ltd | Name: Scotcol Accelerator
Summary: A 6-week early-stage innovation accelerator for FE college staff, students, and SME partners. Building on the success of our first pilot in Q2 2025, the programme consists of weekly 3-hour remote sessions, complemented by optional in-person workshops at the start and end, to foster collaboration among participants. The programme will introduce tools and techniques for turning ideas into viable commercial opportunities. Participants will apply their learning weekly, conducting interviews, refining value propositions, and drafting business models. They will receive weekly 1:1 mentoring from experts within Interface’s innovation network. The accelerator concludes with final presentations, judged by a panel of experts, and a prize of additional in-kind coaching for the winning team. FE colleges are key players in regional economic development and innovation and by equipping college staff, students, and SMEs with the skills to commercialise early-stage ideas, the programme will diversify Scotland’s entrepreneurial pipeline. | £40,000 |
| Glasgow Clyde College | Name: Launch Pad
Summary: This is a 12-week Student Enterprise Accelerator starting in September 2025. This initiative aims to support students and recent graduates at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey, from early-stage ideas to growing businesses. Launch Pad will serve as a support service for students and staff, fostering entrepreneurial activity by providing the necessary guidance, resources, and support to transform creative ideas and passions into successful business ventures. Launch Pad offers an online and in-person service, which seeks to address gaps in Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering mentorship and guidance, increasing awareness and accessibility of resources, providing advice on securing funding, and creating a platform for discussing general ideas and future plans. | £40,000 |
| Filament Pd Ltd | Name: Future Founders
Summary: Future Founders is a schools-based initiative led by Filament PD, in collaboration with STAC mentors and GSA’s Product Design Engineering programme, aimed at building Scotland’s entrepreneurial pipeline by delivering hands-on, engaging entrepreneurship experiences to young people in Glasgow. Kicking off in July 2025, the project will run in two phases: Phase 1 (Sep–Dec) will deliver 14–20 interactive roadshow events across Glasgow secondary schools. Phase 2 (Jan–Mar 2026) will host five themed hackathons where pupils will develop and pitch business ideas, supported by design and business mentors. The project aims to spark entrepreneurial ambition, build creative confidence, and embed enterprise thinking early in the Curriculum for Excellence. Outcomes will be captured via a digital showcase platform, leaving a lasting legacy and raising visibility of entrepreneurship as a viable, inspiring path for young people, especially those without access to traditional networks. | £40,000 |
| Turing Fest | Name: Turing Fest Founders Dinners Programme
Summary: Scotland’s startup ecosystem has grown significantly but many founders still lack consistent, high-trust access to the networks, insights, and capital that drive early-stage growth across Europe. Compared to peers in Berlin, Amsterdam, or London, Scottish founders often find themselves disconnected from the wider European venture and founder landscape. Our proposed project addresses this gap directly. Through the Turing Fest Founders Dinners programme, we will run a series of 10 curated, invite-only dinners in key European tech hubs, between July 2025 and March 2026. Each dinner will bring together 10–15 founders and early-stage investors for a high-trust, off-the-record discussion about what it really takes to build and scale great companies. The format prioritises peer learning, honest storytelling, long-term relationship-building, and fostering entrepreneurial culture. These are not sales events or pitch nights; they are designed to foster meaningful connection and mutual support. At each dinner, we will invite Scottish founders, enabling them to represent the strength of our ecosystem and build international relationships that would otherwise be out of reach. Together, they signal that Scotland is building globally relevant companies and showing up to be part of the conversation. | £40,000 |
| Egg Scotland Ltd, trading as “egg” | Name: egg Scotland Community Amplification
Summary: Building on the success of its 2023 Scottish tour, egg will deliver a powerful blend of live events and year-round online support designed to break down persistent barriers for women in entrepreneurship, particularly those outside Scotland’s central belt, and those balancing business ambitions with caregiving responsibilities.The project will see egg return to five cities across Scotland, delivering vibrant, inclusive events with free childcare, creating space for women, especially mothers, rural founders, and minority ethnic women, to show up fully and connect with others on similar journeys. Participants will be given access to an online community hub for collaboration and confidence-building. A dedicated Community Lead will nurture this inclusive digital space, ensuring it thrives as a hub collaboration and confidence-building. | £40,000 |
| Women's Enterprise Scotland | Name: Funding Options for Women Entrepreneurs in Scotland
Summary: Strategic Funding for Growth for Women Entrepreneurs in Scotland: The Strategic Funding for Growth project is an innovative 8-week online program designed specifically for early-stage women entrepreneurs across Scotland. This gender-informed course equips 40 participants with comprehensive knowledge, practical skills, and strategic connections needed to fund and grow their businesses effectively. The program takes an innovative holistic approach to funding education, covering everything from bootstrapping and sales strategies to individual risk appetite. Delivered through interactive online workshops featuring expert guest speakers and facilitated peer learning, the programme culminates in an in-person networking and showcase event. This structured approach helps participants navigate the complex funding landscape on a well-informed basis, developing optimal individual growth strategies. Our partners include financial organisations within the Scottish ecosystem. | £40,000 |